MODELS OF GLOBAL EVENT LEADERSHIPcess, and registrations for the conference increased markedly....

Chapter 2

MODELS OFGLOBAL EVENT

LEADERSHIP

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COPYRIG

HTED M

ATERIAL

All successful events have five critical stages in common to ensure their con-sistent effectiveness. These five phases or steps of successful Event Leadershipare research, design, planning, coordination, and evaluation (see Figure 2-1).In this chapter, we explore each phase, to enable you to produce successfulevents every time.

RESEARCHExcellent event research reduces risk. The better research you conduct priorto the event, the more likely you are to produce an event that matches theplanned outcomes of the organizers or stakeholders. For many years, public

38 Chapter 2 MODELS OF GLOBAL EVENT LEADERSHIP

IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO:■ Recognize and use the five phases of the modern Event Management process■ Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your event■ Create an accurate blueprint for your event■ Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment■ Complete a gap analysis for your event■ Communicate effectively with event stakeholders

RESEARCH

1 DESIGN

2

PLAN

NIN

G

3COORDINATION

EV

AL

UA

TIO

N5

4

Figure 2-1 Event Management Process

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relations professionals and other marketing experts have realized the value ofusing research to pinpoint the needs, wants, desires, and expectations ofprospective customers. Government leaders regularly conduct feasibility stud-ies prior to authorizing capital investments. These feasibility studies includeexhaustive research. An event is a product that is placed before the publicwith the reasonable expectation that they will attend. Therefore, it is impera-tive that you conduct careful and accurate consumer research to reduce therisk of nonattendance.

I have interviewed hundreds of leading Event Management professionalsand they have stated their belief that more time must be devoted to research andevaluation of events. According to these experts, if more time were devoted tothese phases of the Event Management production process, then ultimately lesstime and expense would be needed to complete the intervening steps.

The three types of research that are used for pre-event research are quan-titative, qualitative, or a combination or hybrid of both. Matching the researchtype to the event is important and is determined by the goals of the research,the time allowed for conducting the research, and the funds available.

MARKET RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

Before bringing a new product or service to market, the inventor or manufac-turer will conduct market research to determine the needs, wants, desires, andexpectations of the target market. Whether your event is a new or a preexist-ing product, market research is required to determine how to obtain the verybest position in a sometimes crowded marketplace. Typically, qualitative and,in most cases, focus group research is used for this purpose.

Market research will help you determine the target or primary market aswell as the secondary and tertiary markets for your event. Market research willalso enable you to study the service levels expected by guests as well as theperceptions by internal stakeholders of the services currently being delivered.By studying the market in depth, you are able to spot emerging trends, de-velop new service delivery systems, and solve minor problems before they be-come major catastrophes.

One example of this is the Event Leader who discovered through researchthat attendees could not register for the upcoming convention during normalbusiness hours due to workplace regulations. Therefore, she invested in an an-swering service for six months prior to the meeting to accept registrations be-tween the hours of 5:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M. This new service was a major suc-cess, and registrations for the conference increased markedly.

QUANTITATIVE VERSUS QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Quantitative Pre-Event ResearchEvent Leaders primarily use quantitative research to determine demographicinformation such as gender, age, income, and other pertinent facts about the

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future market for an event. This research is relatively inexpensive to conductand easy to tabulate and analyze with computers. Figure 2-2 provides a modelof a typical quantitative pre-event research survey.

Whether you use a written survey, in-person interview, or telephone in-terview method of construction, the research survey is of prime importance.To achieve the greatest possible response, offer a reward such as “enclose yourbusiness card and we will share the research findings with you,” or offer animmediate incentive such as enclosing a $1 bill.

Questions may be developed in two different styles. Question 4 uses a Likert scale to allow a respondent to select the response that states his or heropinion precisely. Question 5 uses a semantic differential scale to allow a re-spondent to select a continuum between two opposing adjectives. The num-ber that the respondent circles indicates the likelihood of attending or not at-tending an event.


The following survey will enable the organizers of XYZ event to determine the feasibility of producing the following event. Your participation is important in this effort. Answer all ques-tions by checking the appropriate box. Return this survey by January 1, 2005.

1. Gender? ■■ Male ■■ Female

2. Age? ■■ Under 25 ■■ 26–34 ■■ 35–44 ■■ 45–60 ■■ 61 and over

3. Income? ■■ Under $24,999 ■■ $25,000–44,999 ■■ Over $45,000

4. If the event were held during the summer I would: (Likert scale)■■ Not attend ■■ Maybe attend ■■ No opinion ■■ Probably attend ■■ Positively attend

5. If the event were held during the fall I would: (semantic differential scale)Not Attend ■■ 1 ■■ 2 ■■ 3 ■■ 4 ■■ 5 Positively attend

6. If you checked number 1 above please describe your reasons for nonattendance in the spacebelow: (open-ended question)

Return this survey by January 1, 2005 to:Alan Shawn Feinstein Graduate SchoolJohnson � Wales University8 Abbott Park PlaceProvidence, Rhode Island 02903or fax to 401-598-4738

To receive a free copy of the survey results, please include your business card.

Figure 2-2 Quantitative Pre-Event Survey Model

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Qualitative Pre-Event ResearchMarket research consultants rely on qualitative research to probe for hiddenmeanings in quantitative studies. Qualitative research tells the research organi-zation what is beneath the numbers in quantitative research and, therefore, is animportant step in the research process. This type of research may take the formof a focus group, participant/observer research, or a case study. Selecting theproper methodology depends on your goals, the time available, and the funding.

The focus group is typically comprised of 8 to 12 people of similar back-ground and experience who assemble for the purpose of discussion. A trainedfacilitator leads the group through specific questions that will provide cluesto the goals or outcomes desired from the research. A focus group may be onehour in length, although, in most cases, they last between 90 minutes and twohours. In some instances, a room with a one-way mirror is used to allow theother stakeholders to observe participants for subtle changes in body language,facial reactions, and other gestures that may reveal information in addition totheir verbal opinion. The focus group is audiotaped and the tapes are latertranscribed and analyzed to identify areas of agreement or discord.

The participant/observer style of qualitative research involves placing theresearcher in a host community to participate in and observe the culture ofthose being studied. For example, if you desire to determine whether or not acertain destination is appropriate for relocation of an event, you may wish tovisit, participate, and observe for an extended period of time before making adecision. Interviews with key informants are essential to this research.

The third type of qualitative research is entitled the case study. In thisstyle, a preexisting event is singled out as a specific case to be studied indepth. The event may be studied from a historical context, or the stakehold-ers may be interviewed to determine how personality, skill, and other factorsdrive the success of the event. The case study enables the event researcher todraw conclusions based on the research gleaned from a comparable event.

CostQualitative research is generally more expensive than quantitative researchdue to the time that is involved in probing for deeper, more meaningful an-swers than only digits. The cost of training interviewers, the interviewer’stime, the time for analyzing the data, and other costs contribute to this in-vestment. Although the cost is greater, many Event Managers require bothqualitative and quantitative studies to validate their assumptions or researchtheir markets.

Combined ResearchIn most cases, Event Managers use a combination of quantitative and qualita-tive research to make decisions about future events. This combined researchallows the Event Manager to obtain large volumes of information in a cost-efficient manner using the quantitative method and then probe for hiddenmeanings and subtle feelings using the qualitative approach.

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Effective quantitative research has elements of qualitative research in-cluded to increase the validity of the questions. Event Managers should use asmall focus group or team of experts to review the questions before conduct-ing a survey. These experts can confirm that a question is understandable andvalid for the research being conducted. Figure 2-3 provides a simple way forEvent Managers to determine what research methodology is most effective fortheir purpose.

The goals and required outcomes of the research, combined with the timeframe and funding available, will ultimately determine the best method foryour pre-event research. Regardless of the type of research you conduct, it isimportant that you take care to produce valid and reliable information.

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY: PRODUCING CREDIBLE PRE-EVENT RESEARCH

All research must be defended. Your stakeholders will ask you bluntly, “Howdo you know that you know?” If your research has high validity and reliabil-ity, you can provide greater assurance that your work is truthful. Validity pri-marily confirms that your research measures what it purports to measure. Forexample, if you are trying to determine if senior citizens will attend an event,you must include senior citizens in your sample of respondents to ensure va-lidity. Furthermore, the questions you pose to these seniors must be under-standable to them to ensure that their responses are truthful and accurate.

Reliability helps prove that your research will remain truthful and accu-rate over time. For example, if you were to conduct the same study with an-other group of senior citizens, would the answers be significantly different? Ifthe answer is “yes,” your data may not be reliable. Designing a collection in-strument that has high validity and reliability is a challenging and time-consuming task. You may wish to contact a university or college marketing,psychology, or sociology department for assistance by an experienced researcherin developing your instrument. Often, a senior-level undergraduate student ora graduate student may be assigned to help you develop the instrument and col-lect and analyze the data for college credit. The participation of the universityor college will add credibility to your findings. Software applications such as


Figure 2-3 Selecting the Appropriate Pre-Event Research Method

Goal Method

Collect gender, age, and income data Written surveyCollect attitudes and opinions Focus groupExamine culture of community Participant/observerIdentify comparable characteristics Case studyCollect demographic and psychographic data Combined methods

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Microsoft Excel should be used for analyzing data. For more complex analysis,you may use statistical applications such as SAS, Minitab, and SPSS.

INTERPRETING AND COMMUNICATING RESEARCH FINDINGS

Designing and collecting pre-event research is only the beginning of this im-portant phase. Once you have analyzed the data carefully and identified theimplications of your research, as well as provided some recommendationsbased on your study, you must present the information to your stakeholders.The way that you do this will determine the level of influence you wield withstakeholders.

If the stakeholders are academics or others who have a research back-ground, using tables or a written narrative may suffice. However, if, as is mostoften the case, stakeholders are unsophisticated with regard to research, youmay instead wish to use graphs, charts, and other visual tools to illustrate yourfindings. To paraphrase Confucius, “One picture is certainly worth a thousandnumerals.” To present your pre-event research findings effectively:

1. Determine your audience and customize your presentation to their per-sonal communication learning style.

2. Describe the purpose and importance of the research.3. Explain how the research was collected and describe any limitations.4. Reveal your findings and emphasize the key points.5. Invite questions.

Distributing a well-produced written narrative with copies of the informationyou are presenting (such as graphs from slides) will be helpful to the stake-holders, as they will require more time for independent study before posingintelligent questions. In the written narrative, include a section describing thesteps you have taken to produce research that demonstrates high validity andreliability and list any independent organizations (such as a university or col-lege) that reviewed your study prior to completion.

Communicating your research findings is an essential phase in the re-search process. Prepare, rehearse, and then reveal your data thoughtfully andconfidently. Summarize your presentation by demonstrating how the findingssupport the goals and objectives of your research plan.

THE FIVE W’S: HOW TO PRODUCE CONSISTENTLY EFFECTIVE EVENTS

Too often students will ask me what event they should produce for a class proj-ect instead of why they should produce the event in the first place. Followingthe economically rocky early 1990s, corporations, associations, governments,and other organizations began to analyze carefully why a meeting or eventshould occur. This solid reasoning should be applied to every event decision.

RESEARCH 43

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The first step is to ask: “Why must we hold this event?” There must be notone but a series of compelling reasons that confirm the importance and via-bility of holding the event.

The second step is to ask: “Who will the stakeholders be for this event?”Stakeholders are both internal and external parties. Internal stakeholders maybe the board of directors, committee members, staff, elected leaders, guests, orothers. External stakeholders may be the media, politicians, bureaucrats, orothers who will be investing in the event. Conducting solid research will helpyou determine the level of commitment of each of these parties and better helpyou define who this event is being produced for.

The third step is to ask “When will the event be held?” You must ask your-self if the research-through-evaluation time frame is appropriate for the size ofthis event. If this time period is not appropriate, you may need to rethink yourplans and either shift the dates or streamline your operations. When may alsodetermine where the event may be held.

The fourth step involves asking where the event will be held. As you willdiscover in this chapter, once you have selected a site, your work becomes ei-ther easier or more challenging. Therefore, this decision must be made as earlyas possible, as it affects many other decisions.

The fifth and final “W” is to determine from the information gleaned thusfar what the event product is that you are developing and presenting. Match-ing the event product to the needs, wants, desires, and expectations of yourguests while satisfying the internal requirements of your organization is nosimple task. What must be analyzed carefully and critically to make certainthat the why, who, when, and where are synergized in this answer.

Once these five questions have been answered thoroughly, it is necessaryto turn your deliberations to how the organization will allocate scarce re-sources to produce maximum benefit for the stakeholders. SWOT (strengths,weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis provides a comprehensive tool forensuring that you review each step systematically.

SWOT ANALYSIS: FINDING THE STRENGTHS,WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS

Before you begin planning an event, SWOT analysis usually must be imple-mented to underpin your decision-making. SWOT analysis assists you in iden-tifying the internal and external variables that may prevent the event fromachieving maximum success.

Strengths and WeaknessesThe strengths and weaknesses of an event are primarily considerations thatcan be spotted before the event actually takes place. Typical strengths andweaknesses of many events are shown in Figure 2-4. The strengths and weak-nesses may be uncovered through a focus group or through individual inter-views with the major stakeholders. If the weaknesses outnumber the strengths


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and there is no reasonable way to eliminate the weaknesses and increase thestrengths within the event planning period, you may wish to postpone or can-cel the event.

Opportunities and ThreatsOpportunities and threats are two key factors that generally present them-selves either during an event or after it has occurred. However, during the re-search process, they should be considered seriously, as they may spell poten-tial disaster for the event. Opportunities are activities that may be of benefitto an event without significant investment by your organization. One exampleis that of selecting a year in which to hold an event that coincides with yourcommunity’s or industry’s 100th anniversary. Your event may benefit from ad-ditional funding, publicity, and other important resources simply by aligningyourself with this hallmark event. Other possible beneficial outcomes, some-times indirect, such as the potential of contributing to the event host’s politi-cal image, are considered opportunities.

Threats are activities that prevent you from maximizing the potential ofan event. The most obvious threat is weather; however, political threats maybe just as devastating. Local political leaders must buy into your civic eventto ensure cooperation with all agencies. Political infighting may quickly de-stroy your planning. A modern threat is that of terrorism. The threat of vio-lence erupting at an event may keep people from attending. A celebrity can-celing or not attending can also create a significant threat to the success of anevent. Typical opportunities and threats for an event are listed in Figure 2-5.

You will note that, although strengths and weakness are often related, op-portunities and threats need not be. Once again, in making a decision to pro-ceed with event planning, your goal is to identify more opportunities thanthreats. All threats should be considered carefully and experts should be consulted to determine ways in which threats may be contained, reduced, oreliminated.

SWOT analysis (see Figure 2-6) is a major strategic planning tool duringthe research phase. By using SWOT analysis, an Event Manager can not only

RESEARCH 45

Strengths Weaknesses

Strong funding Weak fundingGood potential for No potential for

sponsors sponsorsWell-trained staff Poorly trained staffMany volunteers Few volunteersGood media relations Poor media relationsExcellent site Weak site

Figure 2-4 Event Strengths and Weaknesses

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scan the internal and external event environment but also can proceed to thenext step, which involves analyses of the weaknesses and threats, and providesolutions to improve the event planning process.

The research phase of the event administration process is perhaps mostcritical. During this period you will determine through empirical researchwhether you have both the internal and external resources essential to makea decision to produce an effective event. Your ability to select the appropriateresearch methodology, design the instrument, and collect, analyze, interpret,and present the data will ultimately determine whether or not an event has


Opportunities Threats

Civic anniversary Hurricanes and tornadoesChamber of Commerce promotion Political infightingCelebrity appearance Violence from terrorismAlign with environmental cause Alcoholic consumptionTie-in with media Site in bad neighborhoodWinning elections Celebrity canceling or not attendingDevoloping more loyal employees

Figure 2-5 Event Opportunities and Threats

S � strengths

1. Strong funding Internal2. Well-trained staff Internal3. Event well respected by media External

W � weaknesses Existing conditions

1. Weak funding Internal2. Few human resources Internal3. Poor public-relations history External

O � opportunities

1. Simultaneous celebration of a congruent External1. event2. Timing of event congruent with Internal1. future budget allocation

T � threats Future/predictive conditions

1. Weather External2. New board of directors leading this Internal1. event

Figure 2-6 SWOT Analysis

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sufficient strength for future success. The first pillar of the Event Managementprocess—research—rests squarely in the center of the other four supportingcolumns. Although each is equal in importance, the future success of an eventdepends on how well you conduct the research phase.

DESIGN: BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESSHaving researched your event thoroughly and determined that it is feasible,time may now be allotted to use the right side of the brain—the creative ca-pacity—to create a general blueprint for your ideas. There are numerous waysto begin this process, but it is important to remember that the very best eventdesigners are constantly visiting the library, attending movies and plays, vis-iting art galleries, and reviewing periodicals to maintain their inspiration. Thiscontinuous research for new ideas will further strengthen the activities youpropose for an event.

BRAINSTORMING AND MIND MAPPING

Too often in volunteer-driven organizations, the very best ideas are never al-lowed to surface. This occurs because well-meaning volunteers (and some notso well-meaning volunteers) tell their colleagues that “this will never work”or “this is impossible at this time.” Although their opinions are certainlyvalid, the process of shooting down ideas before they are allowed to be fullydeveloped is a tragic occurrence in many organizations. Creativity must be en-couraged and supported by Event Managers because, ultimately, the productyou will offer is a creative art. Creativity is an essential ingredient in everyevent management process.

Therefore, when beginning the design phase of this Event Managementprocess, conduct a meeting where creative people are encouraged to brain-storm the various elements of the event. The Event Manager is the facilitatorof this meeting, and, in addition to various creative stakeholders, you maychoose to invite other creative people from the worlds of theater, dance, mu-sic, art, literature, and other fields. At the outset of the meeting, use a flipchartto lay out the ground rules for the discussion. In large bold letters write “Rule1: There are no bad ideas. Rule 2: Go back and reread Rule 1.”

You may wish to begin the session with an activity that will stimulate cre-ativity. One activity I’ve used is to place an object in the center of the tableand invite participants to describe what it might become. For example, a shoe-box might become a tomb, a rocket, or a small dwelling. As each person of-fers his or her ideas, the others should be encouraged to be supportive.

Once you have completed these warm-up activities, members should begiven simple suggestions regarding the why of the event. From these sugges-tions, they should be encouraged to provide creative ideas for who, when,

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where, what, and how. As the facilitator, if one member (or more than onemember) tends to dominate the discussion, ask him or her to summarize andthen say “thank you” as you quickly move on to others to solicit their ideas.Use the flipchart to list all the initial ideas, and do not try to establish cate-gories or provide any other organizational structure.

Mind mapping allows an Event Manager to begin to pull together therandom ideas and establish linkages that will later lead to logical decisionmaking. Using the flipchart, ask each member of the group to revisit his orher earlier ideas and begin to link them to the four W’s and ultimately helpyou see how the event should be developed. Write Why?, Who?, When?,Where?, What?, and How? in the center of a circle on a separate page of theflipchart. From this circle, draw spokes that terminate in another circle.Leave the circles at the end of each spoke empty. The ideas of your teammembers will fill these circles, and they will begin to establish linkages be-tween the goal (Why?, Who?, When?, Where?, What?, and How?) and thecreative method. Figure 2-7 is an example of a successful event mind-mapping activity.

Mind mapping is an effective way to synthesize the various ideas sug-gested by group members and begin to construct an event philosophy. Theevent philosophy will determine the financial, cultural, social, and other im-portant aspects of the event. For example, if the sponsoring organization is anot-for-profit group, the financial philosophy will not support charging highfees to produce a disproportionate amount of funds, or the tax status may bechallenged. Mind mapping allows you to sift through the ideas carefully andshow how they support the goals of the event. By your doing this, an eventphilosophy begins to emerge. Those ideas that do not have a strong linkage orsupport the philosophy should be placed on a separate sheet of flipchart pa-per for future use. Remember Rule 1?


Figure 2-7 Event Management Needs Assessment

Why? � Who? � When? � Where? � What?

What is the com- Who will benefit When will the What are the What elements andpelling reason from this event? event be held? best destination, resources arefor this event? Who will they Are the date and location, and required to satisfy

Why must this want to have time flexible venue? the needsevent be held? attend? or subject to identified above?

change?

� How?

Given answers to the five W’s, how do you effectively research, design, plan, coordinate, and evaluate this event?

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THE CREATIVE PROCESS IN EVENT MANAGEMENT

Special events require people with the ability to move easily between the leftand right quadrants of the cerebellum. The right side of the brain is responsi-ble for creative, spontaneous thinking, while the left side of the brain handlesthe more logical aspects of our lives. Event Managers must be both right- andleft-brained to be able to function effectively. Therefore, if you have deter-mined that one side of your brain is less strong than the other, you must takesteps to correct this to achieve maximum success in Event Management.

The majority of this book is concerned with logical, reasoning activities.Therefore, assuming that one of the aspects of Event Management that you findattractive is the creative opportunities afforded in this profession, I will pro-vide some insight into ways to develop your creativity to the highest possiblelevel. Remember that developing creativity is a continuous process. The rea-son that some corporations put their advertising accounts out for review toother agencies periodically is to be sure that the current agency is working atits highest possible creative level. As an Event Manager, you too must strive forconstant review of your creative powers to make certain that you are in highgear. Following are some tips for continuously developing your creativity:

1. Visit one art gallery each month.2. Attend a live performance of opera, theater, or dance each month.3. Read great works of literature, on a continuing basis.4. Enroll in a music, dance, literature, visual arts, or acting class or dis-

cussion group.5. Apply what you are discovering in each of these fields to Event

Management.

Perhaps the best way to stretch your creativity continually is to surroundyourself with highly creative people (see Figure 2-8). Whether you are in a po-sition to hire creativity or must seek creative types through groups outside theoffice, you must find the innovators in order to practice innovation.

Richard Carbotti’s company, Perfect Surroundings, Inc., of Newport, RhodeIsland, provides consulting, design, fabrication, and on-site management toevents throughout the world. Carbotti, a graduate of the prestigious ParsonsSchool of Design and the 2001 Event Solutions Magazine Event Designer ofthe Year, says that event design began to change before September 11, 2001.According to Carbotti, “We still have clients who want the design to reflectsimplicity, as well as those who wish to focus upon indulgence. Although theystill want the ‘oh wow!’ look, they do not want to pay for it. Clients are morespecific about each line item in the décor budget.” Mr. Carbotti notes that la-bor costs for décor are about 25 percent of the total client investment, the re-maining 75 percent being administration, product materials, transportation,storage, and other operational costs.

Sometimes Carbotti bills as a consultant for his services with typical fees ranging up to $1000 per day. He notes that successful designers pay close


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attention to the personality of the venue where the event is being held and in-corporate that personality in the design approach. In addition, the three-timeGala Award–winning designer says, “Effective Event Leaders pay close atten-tion to the attitude of the culture of the organization sponsoring the event andthe politics that are driving that culture.”

After nearly 20 years as one of the leading event designers, Richard Car-botti says that he is now focusing on a select list of clients in the corporateand social markets. He notes that there is much crossover between the corpo-rate and social market as the father or mother of the bride or the bride herselfcan often become his next corporate client. “As an Event Leader, my job is tomake certain my managers have the resources they need to lead while I go onestep farther, looking at the long-term strategic goals of my organization,” saysCarbotti. Whether it is a vision of the event design or a vision of his company,Richard Carbotti focuses upon quality and innovation to continually expandthe possibilities within the new world of event design.

MAKING THE PERFECT MATCH THROUGH NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS

Once you have completed the brainstorming and mind-mapping activities sat-isfactorily, it is time to make certain that your creative ideas perfectly matchthe goals and objectives of your event. This is accomplished through needs as-sessment and analysis.


Figure 2-8 Creative Influences

Marketer

Wri

ter

Entertainment

ManagerMusicalContractor

Graphic A

rtist

Decor

ator

Event Manager

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Needs assessment and analysis enables you to create an event that closelysatisfies the needs of your stakeholders. You actually began this process byasking “Why?” and “Who?” Now it is time to take it one giant step forwardand survey the stakeholders to determine if your creative solutions will sat-isfy their needs. To accomplish this part of the design phase, develop yourideas into a series of questions, query the key constituents for the event, anddetermine if the various elements you have created—from advertising to décor, from catering to entertainment, and everything in between—meet theirexpectations. Once you are confident that you have assessed the needs of thestakeholders adequately and confirmed that you have, through analysis, de-termined how to satiate these needs, you are well prepared to confirm the final feasibility of your event design.

Is It Feasible?Feasibility simply means that you have looked at the event design objectivelyto determine if what you propose is feasible given the resources available.This is the final checkpoint before actual planning begins and, therefore, mustbe given adequate time for review. Municipalities often engage professionalengineers or other consultants to conduct lengthy feasibility studies before ap-proving new construction or other capital expenditures. Although you maynot need a battery of consultants, it is important for you to review all previ-ous steps thoroughly when determining the feasibility of an event plan.

The three basic resources that will be required are financial, human, andpolitical. Each of these resources may have varying degrees of importance, de-pending on the nature of the event. For example, a for-profit or large hallmarkevent will require significant financial investment to succeed. On the otherhand, a not-for-profit event will rely on an army of volunteers, and, therefore,the human element is more important. A civic event will require greater po-litical resources to accomplish. Therefore, when assessing and analyzing fea-sibility, first determine in what proportions resources will be required for theevent. You may wish to weigh each resource to help prepare your analysis.

Financial Considerations You will want to know if sufficient financialresources are available to sustain development and implementation of theevent. Furthermore, you must consider what will happen if the event losesmoney. How will creditors be paid? You will also want to know what re-sources you can count on for an immediate infusion of cash should the eventrequire this to continue development. Finally, you must carefully analyze thecash-flow projections for the event to determine how much time is to be al-lowed between payables and receivables.

The Human Dimension In assessing the feasibility of an event, you mustnot only know where your human resources will come from but how they willbe rewarded (financially or through intangibles such as awards and recogni-tion). Most important, you must know how they will work together as an ef-ficient event team.


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Politics as Usual The increasingly important role of government leadersin event oversight must be viewed with a practiced eye. Politicians see eventsas both good (opportunities for publicity, constituent communications, andeconomic impact) and bad (drain on municipal services and potential for dis-aster). When designing civic events, it is particularly important that you un-derstand and enlist the support of politicians and their bureaucratic ministersto ensure smooth cooperation for your event. Furthermore, for all events, it isessential that you carefully research the permit process to determine if theevent you have designed is feasible according to the code within the jurisdic-tion where the event will be held.

The Approval ProcessThe research and design phases add to the event history once an event is ap-proved. The approval process may be as simple as an acceptance by the clientor as complex as requiring dozens of signatures from various city agencies thatwill interact with the event. Regardless of the simplicity or complexity of thisstep, you should view it as an important milestone that, once crossed, assuresyou that the plan has been reviewed and deemed reasonable and feasible, andhas a high likelihood-to-succeed ratio. All roads lead to official approval,whether in the form of a contract or as individual permits from each agency.Without official approval, an event remains a dream. The process for turningdreams into workable plans requires careful research, thoughtful design, andcritical analysis. This could be called the “planning to plan phase,” becauseit involves so many complex steps related to the next phase. However, oncethe approval is granted, you are on your way to the next important phase: theactual planning period.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR EVENT LEADERS

According to William O’Toole and Phyllis Mikolaitis, CSEP, the authors ofCorporate Event Project Management (Wiley, 2002), there are nine reasonswhy project management offers you unique resources for improving your prac-tice. Using a project management system will help you establish a systematicapproach to all events. Similar to the five phases of Event Management, theproject management system provides you with a superstructure to enable youto systematically approach every event using the same framework.

Many events—especially those in the social market—are driven by emo-tional decisions rather than systematic or logical approaches. The project man-agement system will depersonalize the event as it provides you with an ob-jective process for reviewing the event development.

Communication is critical throughout the Event Management process, andthe project management system will help you facilitate clear communications


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with stakeholders from many different fields. Through meetings and docu-ments, project management provides a transparent system to promote bettercommunications.

Many corporate and government organizations already utilize project man-agement systems; therefore, using this system will help you conform to thosethat are already in place in your clients’ organizations.

Accountability is increasingly one of the more important outcomes of anyevent project. The project management system helps ensure accountabilitythrough the continuous outputs that are required to update the progress of theevent.

O’Toole and Mikolaitis believe that, through the adoption of project man-agement systems, you will be able to increase the visibility for the professionof Event Leadership. If your work is often invisible until the actual start of theevent, the project management system will provide a continuous flow of in-formation charting the progress of the event as it develops and will provideyour client and others with an overview of the complexity of your job.

Training is critical for your staff and volunteers and, by providing themwith a project management system to follow, this training may be simplifiedand expedited. The project management system will put your staff and vol-unteers to work at a quicker pace and will motivate them to consistently per-form better over the life span of the event.

In addition to facilitating training, project management competency helpsdevelop transferable skills that will help you attract the best people. As a re-sult of working within your project management system, your staff and vol-unteers will learn a system that may be transferred and applied to a seeminglyinfinite number of jobs and careers.

Finally, as an event project manager you will establish a diverse body ofknowledge that may be transmitted to other organizations. In addition, youwill be able to accumulate and refine the knowledge you receive from specificevents and related projects from around the world. Whether it is a moon land-ing mission by NASA or the development and deployment of the new Trans-portation Security Administration (TSA), you can benefit from the successfulproject management experiences of other organizations.

In traditional project management, a technique entitled the Project Break-down Structure (PBS) is often used to establish the organizational structure.Similar to the traditional organizational chart, the PBS provides a thoroughoverview of all of the event requirements.

After the event has been thoroughly defined, the work that will be re-quired must be carefully analyzed. During this decomposition period, thework that will be conducted for the event is broken down into smaller unitsof work entitled tasks. This process is described in project management as thework breakdown structure (WBS). Tasks or activities are generally singular, in-dependent entities that may be individually managed. They also have specificstart and finish times. Finally, they require clearly assigned resources (labor,finance, time). When several tasks are bundled together, they form a work

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package. When an important task is accomplished, project managers refer tothis stage as a milestone or the completion of an important task.

Scheduling is perhaps one of the most valuable advantages of using a proj-ect management system for your event. Tasks are usually divided into twotypes of scheduling systems. Parallel scheduling refers to tasks that may beperformed at the same time. Serial scheduling refers to tasks that must be per-formed in a sequence, such as when the lighting company must first hang thelights before the rental company places the tables and chairs for a banquet.Timelines for your events may benefit from a pictorial tool, such as the GANTTchart or bar chart, which demonstrates the major tasks that need to be ac-complished. Creating and documenting the critical tasks and critical path aremajor responsibilities for the event project manager. The ability of the eventproject manager to list, prioritize, and sequence the tasks will ultimately de-termine the overall success of the event from an operational and financialstandpoint.

Influence diagrams and sensitivity analyses are used to mitigate future chal-lenges. The influence diagram is a chart that demonstrates through boxes andarrows what tasks are interdependent on others. Most importantly, it clearlydemonstrates that events are part of larger systems and one change in the sys-tem can affect hundreds of other components in the event. The sensitivity analy-sis is the identification of the degree of influence any part of the event has onthe entire event as a whole. This analysis also aids in the risk-management con-trols for the event because it demonstrates how a small change in one area canaffect other areas of the entire event. As a result of this careful documentation,a series of outputs are created including charts and reports. These outputs canlater form a handbook or manual to educate or train others as well as provideimportant documentation and historical detail of the event.

Event Leaders will greatly benefit from project management training. Theuse of this system, as outlined by O’Toole and Mikoalitis provides Event Lead-ers with a system that bridges the most accepted practices of their clients. Forthis reason and many more, it is important that Event Leaders become famil-iar with how to apply project management techniques to their Event Manage-ment system.

PLANNING CONSISTENTLY EFFECTIVE EVENTS

The planning period is typically the longest period of time in the Event Man-agement process. Historically, this has been due to disorganization. Disorga-nization is best characterized by frequent changes resulting from substitutions,additions, or even deletions due to poor research and design. Ideally, the bet-ter the research and design, the simpler and briefer the planning period willbe. Since events are planned by human beings for other human beings, this


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theory is fraught with exceptions. However, your goal should be to develop asmooth planning process based on careful research and design procedures.The planning phase involves using the time/space/tempo laws (see Figure 2-9) to determine how best to use your immediate resources. These three ba-sic laws will affect every decision you make; how well you make use of themwill govern the final outcome of an event.

TIMING

The law of timing refers to how much time you have in which to act or react.The first question that many Event Managers ask the client is: When wouldyou like to schedule the event? The answer to that question tells you howmuch time you have to prepare. Often, that timetable may seem incrediblyshort.

The length of time available for planning and for actual production willdramatically affect the cost and sometimes the success of the event. Equally

PLANNING CONSISTENTLY EFFECTIVE EVENTS 55

1

Approvalof

Event

Time

2

Select venueto match

time restrictions.Space

Tempo

4

Event Date(s)

3

Theprocess

mustmatch time

frame.

Figure 2-9 Time/Space/Tempo Laws

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important, as you discovered earlier, is how you use your time. The Greekphilosopher Theophrastus said, “Time is the most valuable thing a human canspend.”

Mona Meretsky, president of COMCOR, a Fort Lauderdale corporate eventsfirm, notes that, when budgeting her time to prepare a final cost estimate fora client, she realizes that the time she invests will exceed the number of bill-able client hours because she is a perfectionist. She will “take as much timeas is required for each event to make certain that the details are attended to.It pays off in the long run. I’ve never had a corporate client not come back.”Budgeting your time, as shown by Meretsky, is not an exact science but rathera dynamic experience that must be governed by the importance of each event.

When budgeting your time for a proposed event, some independent EventManagers estimate the amount of time necessary for pre-event client meetings,site inspections, meetings with vendors, ongoing communications and con-tract preparations, actual event time from time of arrival through departure,and post-event billable time. You may wish to allocate your billable time tofollow the five phases of the event process: research, design, planning, coor-dination, and evaluation.

You can only estimate the time involved in these tasks and, therefore,must add a contingency time factor to each phase. Mona Meretsky believesthat using a 10 percent contingency factor will help you cover extra time re-quired but not originally projected.

Like Mona Meretsky, Audrey Gordon, sole proprietor of Audrey GordonParties of Chicago, admits that her actual time often exceeds her projectedtime. “A bar mitzvah could, if necessary, be planned in one eight-hour day.The worst-case scenario is days of planning, as people usually change theirminds often.”

By paying careful attention to the research and design phase, you will beable to budget your time more precisely. This is particularly true for the eventitself. This part of planning involves when to arrive for a particular event,when to cue the appropriate musician or performer, when to take breaks, andof course, when to stop. Planning the time of an event is as important as man-aging your planning time.

Mona Meretsky says, “I request that my personnel be set up for our eventsone hour in advance. In Florida, guests often arrive early, and we must beready when they are.”

Audrey Gordon, owner of a one-person firm, must rely on legions of ven-dors to produce her social life-cycle events. Her planning must be careful andprecise, even to the point of listing what song is to be played at a specific time.The net result of her exhaustive preparation is that the guest is able to relaxand enjoy the event, as every element happens logically, sequentially, and ontime.

The moment the client approves the date of an event, the Event Managermust begin assessing how the planning period will affect other business op-erations. Therefore, the law of timing sometimes requires that, when an un-


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reasonable time frame is allotted to produce an event professionally, the EventManager must decline to accept the opportunity. The ultimate factor that willgovern every decision regarding timing is made when you ask yourself: “Giventhis amount of time, can I produce an event that displays the quality and pro-fessionalism I am known for without losing equal or possibly larger opportu-nities?” Your answer will determine whether the light turns green, fades toyellow, or becomes red.

SPACE

The law of space refers to both the physical space where an event will be heldand the time between critical decisions pertaining to the event. The relation-ship of timing to space is one that is constant throughout the entire eventprocess.

In the 1988 Super Bowl half-time show in Jack Murphy Stadium, RadioCity Music Hall Productions designed an elaborate half-time show featuring88 grand pianos. Suddenly, without warning, the day before the actual pro-duction, the producer was instructed that his set-up time for the productionwas reduced to only a few minutes. Further complicating matters, thegroundskeepers at the stadium raised serious concerns that the movement ofthe pianos onto the field would affect the turf on which the second half of thegame would be played. In this example and numerous others, the actual phys-ical space governs the time required for various elements of the event.

When selecting a venue for an event, the location and physical resourcespresent will significantly affect the additional time that must be invested. Ifyou select a historic mansion with elaborate permanent decor, less time willbe required to decorate the site. By comparison, if you select a four-walledvenue, such as a hotel or convention center (where you are literally rentingthe four walls), significant time and expense must be invested to create aproper atmosphere for the event.

Burt Ferrini, Director of University Events at Northeastern Illinois Uni-versity in Chicago, recognizes the importance of space. As the manager ofcommencement exercises, Ferrini must coordinate thousands of people in aspace most are not familiar with. Furthermore, he must ensure that the eventruns precisely on time. “I prepare individual schedules for each group of par-ticipants and then, after rehearsing them individually, I blend them togetherin a master schedule. Breaking the large event down into component parts andthen reassembling it on the day of the event helps ensure a smooth ceremony.”

When considering the space for an event, some Event Managers prepare anelaborate checklist to review each element carefully. The checklist should re-flect the goals and objectives of the event and not merely replicate a form youhave copied for convenience. One of the primary considerations when select-ing space is the age and type of guest who will be attending. Older guests maynot be able to tolerate extreme temperatures, and this may preclude you fromselecting an outdoor venue. For events with young children, you may or may


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not wish to select a site in a busy urban setting. Go back to the research andneeds assessment phase, and review why this event is important and who thestakeholders are. Then select a venue specifically to match their needs, wants,and expectations.

The terms ingress and egress are important concepts when reviewing a po-tential venue. Ingress defines the entrances or access to the venue, and egressrefers to the exits or evacuation routes. When considering ingress and egress,you must consider not only people, including those with disabilities, but alsovehicles, props, possibly animals, and indeed any element that must enter orexit the site. You must also keep in mind the time available for ingress oregress, as this will determine the number of portals (doors) that may need tobe available for this purpose.

Parking, public transportation, and other forms of transportation, includ-ing taxis, limousines, and tour buses, must also be considered when analyz-ing a site. These considerations should include the number of parking spaces,including those for the disabled, the availability and security/safety of publictransportation, and the time required to dispatch a taxi.

TEMPO

The final law of event planning is concerned with the rate or tempo at whichevents take place during both production planning and the event itself. Fromthe moment the client approves an agreement or authorizes you to proceedwith planning to the final meeting, you must be aware of the projected rate atwhich events will happen. Improved technology such as fax and online ser-vices has dramatically accelerated the process and the demands of clients to“do it now.” However, “now” is often not as efficient as later. When an EventManager is pressured to deliver a product before it is fully developed, the re-sults may be less than exemplary. Therefore, as you manage the rate at whichtasks will be completed and events will occur, it is important to consider ifeach action is being performed at the best time. “Maybe” is not an acceptableresponse. To determine if this is the best moment for this task to be handled,ask yourself if you have sufficient information and resources to implement it.If not, try to delay the action until you are better prepared.

Establishing the proper tempo is not an exact science. Rather, like a con-ductor of an orchestra, you must allow your personal taste, energy, and expe-rience to guide you as you speed up or slow down the tempo as required. An-alyzing the event site and estimating the time required for a project, the EventManager is better able to set the tempo or schedule for the setup, production,and removal of the equipment. Without this advance analysis, the Event Man-ager becomes an orchestra conductor without benefit of a score, a musicianwithout benefit of a maestro.

Understanding the needs of guests also helps establish and adjust the tempoduring an event. If the guest is concerned primarily with networking, a leisurelytime frame should be followed to allow for plenty of interaction. For example,


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while the transition from cocktails to dinner may be brisk when the program ismore important than networking, the transition may be slowed when the em-phasis is on the connections the audience members make among themselves.

Jerry Edwards, CPCE, past president of the National Association of Cater-ing Executives (NACE), and owner of Chef’s Expressions, Inc., in Timonium,Maryland, is convinced that the best Event Leaders are those who are focusedupon quality outcomes for their guests. “I was very fortunate to own a busi-ness in the era of high demand, and I was able to continually upgrade my staff.Now, thanks to The Food Channel™ and other food-related programming, cus-tomers are more sophisticated and demanding,” says Edwards.

When Edwards began his catering business, there was little informationregarding high-end catering or ethnic menus. Today, due to changing tastes,everyone is concerned with the food components and the final presentation.In terms of changing tastes, Edwards reports that the use of full liquor bars isup by 21 percent in his events. “Perhaps the nostalgia exhibited by the babyboomers has brought back the name brand or call liquor consumption. Theywill actually pay for liquor but may not pay as much for food. Nine out of tenwill ask for liquor by brand name. The drink reflects personal taste, sophisti-cation, and success,” says Edwards. The three-term president of NACE saidthat he learned the catering business through the NACE meetings he attended.His involvement in NACE helped take his business from $500,000 to over$2,000,000 per year in revenues.

He envisions that, through organizations such as NACE, Event Leaders inthe near future will earn credentials from either certifications or college de-grees and that specific career paths will be identified for young people to helpthem break the glass ceiling that continues to exist in the hospitality industry.Finally, Jerry Edwards believes that human nature plays a significant role indeveloping Event Leaders and that schools and associations must work closertogether to promote leadership development. “We need to begin developingthe next level of Event Leaders in the catering industry and we can do thisbest by working together to help insure the future for our profession,” suggeststhe man who bought a small lunch counter for $2,000 and then developed amulti-million dollar off-premise catering enterprise while serving as a leaderfor one of the industry’s major associations.

These three basic laws, as old as human creation itself, govern the plan-ning of all events. To become an expert Event Leader, you must master yourability to manage time in the most minute segments. You must develop the vi-sion to perceive the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of everyspace. Finally, you must be able to analyze the needs of your guests to set tem-pos that will ensure a memorable event.

GAP ANALYSIS

Too often, Event Managers proceed by rote memory to produce an event in astyle with which they are most familiar. In doing this, they often overlook criti-


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cal gaps in the logical progression of event elements. Identifying these gaps andproviding recommendations for closure is the primary purpose of gap analysis.

This planning tool involves taking a long, hard look at event elements andidentifying significant gaps in the planning that could weaken the overall pro-gression of the plan. An example is an Event Manager who has scheduled anoutdoor event in September in Miami Beach, Florida. September is the primemonth of the hurricane season. The Event Manager has created a wide gap inhis or her plan that must be closed to strengthen the overall event. Therefore,finding a secure indoor location in case of a weather emergency would be agood beginning toward closing this gap.

Use a critical friend—a person whose expertise about the particular eventis known to you—to review your plan and search for gaps in your logical think-ing. Once you have identified the gaps, look for opportunities to close them.By implementing the findings from SWOT and gap analysis, you are able to be-gin executing your plan. This execution phase is known as coordination.

COORDINATION: EXECUTING THE PLANAs the light turns green, the tempo accelerates and you are now faced withcoordinating the minute-by-minute activities of the event itself. I was onceasked, “What does it take to be a competent Event Manager?” “The ability tomake good decisions,” I swiftly answered. I realize now that it requires muchmore than good decision-making ability; however, it is also true that duringthe course of coordinating an event you will be required to make not dozensbut hundreds of decisions. Your ability to use your professional training andexperience to make the correct decision will affect the outcome of the entireevent. While it is true that Event Managers should maintain a positive attitudeand see problems as challenges in search of the right solution, it is also im-portant that you apply critical analysis to every challenge that comes yourway. Following is a simple but effective way to make these decisions:

1. Collect all the information. Most problems have many sides to review.2. Consider the pros and cons of your decision in terms of who will be

affected.3. Consider the financial implications of your decision.4. Consider the moral and ethical implications of your decision.5. Make a decision and do not look back.

EVALUATION: THE LINK TO THE NEXT EVENTThe Event Leadership process, as shown in Figure 2-10, is a dynamic spiralthat is literally without end. The first phase—research—is connected with thelast—evaluation. In this phase, you will ask: “What is it we wish to evaluate,


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and how will we best accomplish this?” Events may be evaluated by each partof the Event Management process or through a general comprehensive reviewof all phases. It is up to you and your stakeholders to decide what informa-tion you require to improve your planning and then implement effectivestrategies to accomplish this phase.

Perhaps the most common form of event evaluation is the written survey.Usually, the survey is conducted immediately following the event, to collectthe satisfaction level of the participants and spectators. As with any evalua-tion method, there are pros and cons to immediate feedback. One bias is theimmediate nature of the feedback, which prohibits a respondent from digest-ing the total event experience before providing his or her feedback.

Another form of evaluation is the use of monitors. A monitor is a trainedperson who will observe an element of the event and provide both written andverbal feedback to the Event Manager. The event monitor usually has a check-list or survey to complete and will then offer additional comments as required.The benefit of this type of evaluation is that it permits a trained, experiencedevent staff member or volunteer to observe the event objectively while it istaking place and provide instructive comments.

The third form of event evaluation is the telephone or mail survey con-ducted after the event. In this evaluation, the Event Manager surveys the spec-tators and participants after the event through either a mail or a telephone sur-vey. By waiting a few days after the event to collect these data, the EventManager is able to glean from the respondents how their attitudes have changedand developed after some time has passed since participating in the event.

A new form of evaluation that is growing in popularity is the pre- andpost-event survey. This evaluation allows an Event Manager to determine therespondents’ knowledge, opinions, and other important information both be-fore and after their attendance at an event. This is especially helpful when try-ing to match expectations to reality. For example, an event guest may state

EVALUATION: THE LINK TO THE NEXT EVENT 61

Figure 2-10 Event Management Process

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upon entering an event that he or she expects, based on the advertising andpublic relations, to enjoy nonstop entertainment. However, upon completingthe exit interview, the guest registers disappointment because of the gaps inthe programming. This type of evaluation helps event organizers close gapsbetween overpromising and underdelivering certain aspects of an event. Reg-istration mail-in rebates and other incentives may be offered for filling outboth surveys.

Regardless of the form of evaluation you use, it is critical that you not waituntil the end of the event to find out how you are doing. If you were to attendany banquet where I am responsible for the event, you might be surprised tosee me wandering from table to table and asking guests how they are enjoy-ing dinner. In doing this, I am able to uncover gaps in execution of the plan.One guest might say: “I ordered vegetarian and was served meat.” I am ableto correct this error immediately. If I had waited until the person had filledout an evaluation form, it would have been too late.

Take the temperature of your guests hourly to make certain that you areon target in meeting your goals and objectives. By doing this, you are able toreset your course immediately and ensure that, together, you will arrive at thesame destination—a successful event.

This Event Management process is the conceptual framework for every ef-fective event. The process is dynamic and will require selectivity by the EventManager to determine where to begin and how to proceed to best accomplishthe objectives. One event may be past the research stage and the Event Man-ager retained merely to coordinate the elements. Still another may be midwaythrough the planning phase. The effective Event Manager will immediatelyrecognize that the event process cannot be complete or totally effective unlesseach phase is considered carefully. It matters not where you begin the process.It is essential that every phase be considered, visited, and understood.

COMMUNICATIONS: THE TIE THAT BINDSEvent Management is a profession whose success or failure ratio often de-pends on people’s ability to communicate effectively with one another. It doesnot matter whether this communication is oral, written, electronic, or allthree. What is important is that Event Managers become practiced communi-cators in order to maintain clear communications with all stakeholders. Re-gardless of the communication channel that you are using, you want to makesure that you make your point clearly and establish the right priorities in yourmessage.

Often, both visual and auditory noise will provide a barrier to open com-munication. Visual noise includes those visual distractions that take placewhen you are trying to communicate with others. Auditory noise may be mu-sic, traffic, or other distractions that interfere with others’ ability to hear and


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concentrate on what you are saying. Remove all noise before trying to com-municate with others. Find a quiet place to meet, remove visual distractions,and verify and confirm that those you are communicating with comprehendwhat you are sharing.

Written communications are essential not only for record keeping but alsofor purposes of mass distribution. It is impossible to transmit verbally to 1000people an event update without distortion. (Remember the children’s game“gossip”?) Use memorandums, briefing statements, bulletins, and other docu-ments to communicate effectively to one or many others. Memoranda shouldinclude an “Action Required” statement to inform the reader how best to re-spond and in what time frame.

Bulletins must be sporadic, or you run the risk of becoming the personwho cried “wolf” once too often and now is ignored by everyone. Newslettersare a particularly effective tool for communications; however, use caution, asthey are extremely labor intensive.

Perhaps one of the best ways to communicate is through a meeting. Whenscheduling a meeting, make certain that you prepare an agenda in advancethat lists the items for discussion. Distribute this document in advance of themeeting to those who will attend and ask them to comment. This will helpthem prepare for the meeting. Use the agenda to guide the meeting and, as theleader, serve as a facilitator for discussion. Using a flipchart will help you cap-ture ideas while sticking to the agenda. One extremely effective device is toassign the meeting participants prework so that they come to the meeting pre-pared and ready to make specific contributions. Make sure that your meetingdoes not take much longer than initially planned; otherwise, you will give theimpression of being a disorganized person who does not value your own timeand the time that others will invest in the meeting.

Alternative communication techniques include producing audiotapes andvideotapes as well as using teleconferencing through compressed video (tele-phone lines). Since the average person commutes 20 or more minutes twicedaily to the office, this is an excellent time to put your meeting or informa-tion on audiotape, add a little music, and share your ideas. The major draw-back to this alternative is that the communication is one-way. Videotapes alsoallow you to express your thoughts creatively with photos, interviews, andmusic and to show the tape before a large group of people creating excitementin numbers. Two-way video using existing telephone lines and a compressedsystem is an effective way to present data, visuals, and some person-to-personinteraction. It is also relatively inexpensive compared to traditional satelliteuplink/downlink technology.

The use of computer online chat rooms has grown in popularity due to therapid expansion of the Internet technologies. When using chat rooms, avoidpersonal issues and conduct postings in a businesslike manner. Personal issuesmay be addressed through other mediums, such as telephone calls. Chat roomsare excellent information-exchange opportunities, and you will find that yourcolleagues will provide you with new resources for producing better events.

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SYNERGY: LINKING ADMINISTRATION,COORDINATION, MARKETING,AND RISK MANAGEMENT

The Walt Disney Company is the only organization of its size with an execu-tive board position titled Vice President for Synergy. Due to the diversity inthe Disney product line (theme parks, retail stores, movies, recordings, sport,television), the leaders of this successful organization believe that one personmust be responsible for ensuring that there is synergy among all aspects of thebusiness operation.

Up to one year in advance, before Disney rolls out a new movie, the retailstores are developing new products, the theme parks are planning new liveshows, and the other aspects of the corporation are preparing for joint pro-motion and distribution of the new product. This kind of synergy allocatesDisney’s scarce resources in the most efficient manner.

Your event also has scarce resources. These resources include your abilityto administrate, coordinate, market, and manage the risk for the event. Youmust link these four competencies together carefully and thoroughly through-out the event process in order to produce the very best and most profitableevent product.

The administration process of an event serves as the foundation for the re-sources you will select and manage during the coordination process. Poor ad-ministration will later undermine your ability to coordinate the event. Strongcoordination will result in better marketing results. Unless your operationspeople are aware that today’s tickets are discounted, all the advertising in theworld will be wasted. The link between coordination and marketing, and forthat matter administration, is vital. Finally, legal, ethical, and risk-managementissues form a strong river current that runs through every decision you makein Event Management. If your marketing team leader overpromotes or promotesan event inaccurately, he or she will place those who must coordinate eventoperations at a great disadvantage. In subsequent chapters, we introduce eachof these competencies in detail, but at this early stage it is important for youto recognize the connection between them. Together, they weave a strong tap-estry that will help shield you from future problems and provide a rich un-derstanding of how all team members must work together productively.

CAREER-ADVANCEMENT CONNECTIONS

GLOBAL CONNECTION

Internet online discussions help to establish communication among EventManagement organizations and various other event stakeholders. This will


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CAREER-ADVANCEMENT CONNECTIONS 65

Profiles in Event Leadership: Kathy Nelson, CSEP, CMP

THE LEADER AS MENTORFor nearly a decade, Kathy Nelson has men-tored students and professionals as a leaderin the field of event education. Professor Nel-son is Assistant Professor of Tourism and Con-vention Administration at the University ofNevada at Las Vegas. She has served as chair-man of the International Special Events Soci-ety certification commission and was thechairman of the steering committee for theformation of the Las Vegas chapter of ISES.With her husband, Dan, she is the co-ownerof Dan Nelson Productions, an entertainmentand event corporation based in Las Vegas. Sheis currently completing her PhD in sociology.

Professor Nelson believes that leadingand mentoring are synonymous. She is certainthat the students and professionals in theevents industry whom she mentors will, inturn, mentor others, creating a chain of edu-cation that is without end. According to Nel-son, although mentoring is only one of manyattributes necessary for becoming an effectiveevent leader, it is perhaps one of the most im-portant. She has used her mentoring skills asan academic advisor and seen wonderful re-sults. “I recall a mature student who, afterearning her CSEP wanted to earn her bache-lor’s degree,” says Nelson. “I was able to helpher find a job on campus as an administrativeassistant and now she is making progress to-ward her dream of earning her undergraduatedegree.” Nelson has used her leadership skillsto help her students and others refocus theircareers as well as adapt to new situations.

As one of the leading educators in theevent profession, Professor Nelson recognizeswhy it is important to use models to sustainand grow this profession. “The framework ofan Event Leadership system helps control thechaos, with the system becoming the tools

Kathy Nelson, CSEP, CMPAssistant Professor of Tourism and Conven-tion AdministrationE-mail: [email protected]

that produce safer, more successful events,”says Nelson. Event Leaders are never satisfiedwith their success; they always desire to findother opportunities to serve. Recently, Profes-sor Nelson developed a capstone course inthe undergraduate program requiring that stu-dents actually produce an event in order toearn their degree. She was completely re-sponsible for identifying this need or gap andcombining her talents with those of others tobenefit her students and indeed the entire in-dustry. This applied experience is documentedthrough a portfolio that prepares the studentsto one day apply for the CSEP designation.

If Event Leaders are indeed mentors, thenProfessor Kathy Nelson is one of the best ex-amples of how Event Leaders serve others tochange and improve lives and, in so doing,advance our profession through an endlesschain of future Event Leaders-mentors.

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also help to reduce operations costs, especially for international events. Sinceinternational events usually require more time for logistical preparations, it isimportant to use the fastest methods of communication to facilitate the plan-ning stage.

TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION

With the development of the Internet, many Event Management organiza-tions started using Internet-based applications that allow secured sharing ofinformation among multiple parties. One example is The George Washing-ton University’s interactive data- and information-sharing site, Prometheus(www. prometheus.gwu.edu). Another example is Microsoft Outlook (www.microsoft.com), where participants can exchange files as well as conduct on-line team activities. Using such password-secured Web sites, you can post filesand exchange information from anywhere in the world.

RESOURCE CONNECTION

Contact Event Management industry associations to stay abreast of quickly de-veloping industry trends. The International Special Events Society (ISES,www.ises.com) is committed to continuous education in the Event Manage-ment community.

Contact the National Tourism Research Laboratory at Temple Universityfor technical support in designing and conducting valid and reliable eventevaluations (www.temple.edu/sthm).

LEARNING CONNECTION

In this chapter, you have covered the five stages of each event. To enhanceyour understanding of the chapter, complete the following activity:

You are managing a new European car launch in the United States. Over5000 attendees are expected to be at the event over a three-day period. Theevent will include various elements, such as a car show, indoor test-driving,and a gala reception. The contract requires that you develop the completeevent program and implement it. This event requires a lot of creativity and ex-cellent organization skills. You need to produce the event and to be able to ex-ecute it flawlessly. What tasks will you perform in each of the five stages?


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MODELS OF GLOBAL EVENT LEADERSHIPcess, and registrations for the conference increased markedly....

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